Seed-treating machine



Jan. 13, 1931. c, c c s 1,788,617

SEED TREATING MACHINE Filed March 25. 1929 v a (10/ #M; 4 g I Pate ntedvJaniil3yl93l A meat}? CLAUDE o. c LK Ns; or. sroxafnn; was nneron sn'enmanarinc maonmn i ,lpplication filed March 25,

My present invention relates to impr-ovements in seed treating machines especially adaptedfor use in afiixingjor applying,, by v attrition, a powderedlcoating'to seed grain I before planting; which coating,- after the seed grain has been plantedwillprotect the seed against ravagesof smut and other diseases. The seedin this instance may bewheat, and

the material for coating the wheatberries is preferably copper carbonate in finely p owtderedformr a g I "In the performanceoi its functions the machine of my invention is :adapted'to tumble or agitate the grain'and copper carbonate'so 15 thatthey'lwillbe closely intermingled with a frictionalcontact or rubbing movement be-' tweenthe berries and between the berries and the powdertoinsure a thorough and-uniform -rcoatin'g of the "protective powder for each seed before it can leaveorbe discharged from i legs 4, and at the rear are provided legs 5 themachine. J

In carrying out my invention I employ a stationary closed. cylinderor drum to which. a the seed grain and the powder are fed or suppliedby separate-feed mechanisms, and. by means of rotary agitators within thedrum, the attritional coating of they seed grain is {accomplished f I Because of the minimum number of-parts utilized and ofthe simplicity both in conchine may be manufactured infquantities at comparatively low cost'of production, and

manipulated with facility. V i I The invention consists in certain novel com binati-ons and 'arrangementsof parts for ac-v complishing the above' set forth'pu rpose as vwill hereinafter be more fully set'forth andf K i 0f: spaced longitudlnally extendmg angle claimedQ v I V..

'Inqthe" accompanying drawings I haveil-j lustrated one complete example of thephysical embodiment of my invention wherein the for a: slide topl ,orfllid 11 The lidwor sl1de parts are combined and arranged according Figure 1 is av'iewin side elevationgof ar ;machine embodying my invention with in- 'terior operating parts shown in-dotted lines.

struction and operation of the machine in to'the best mode I have thus far devised for"- 1 929; serial no s ia sos.

Figure'2isa transverse' vertical sectional view through the mixing drumorcylinder Figure 3 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view through themachina- I Figure 4 is a viewin elevation t F? chargeend ofthemachine;

Figure 5 isan enlarged horizontalisectional 1 view through the powder feed hopper. In the preferred form ofmy invention-as,

illustrated inthe drawings I utilize --a. sta- I tionary,-cylindrical vessel-ordrum lthat may be fashioned vofsheet metal andv provided with cast metalends or heads 2 and 3-locatedgrespectively at "the, front or. inlet end andthe rear ordischarge end of the machine These heads are of circular; shape and are'provided with; annular flanges 2aand-3a' toiwl1ich the v ends of the drumwarefafiixed in suitable ner toinsui'ea dust-proof inclosure. 1

At the front the drum is supported on the outer: face ofgth'e head 3gof the cylinder andthejcleats arezoit' channel shape in .cross section to receive thelegsf'Ihe cleats are a arranged inspaced pairs-as. seen innF-igure 4 andeach leg nearits upper end is provided 7 with a pair of spaced longitudinally r extend-1 ing-slotsf'i'for the clamp boltsS thatare used to secure thelegs'to thecleats. 'Wheni y it the. bolts I are loosened the legs maybe ad' justed vertically w'ith relation to the fixed [cleats and the discharge end of the drum' is thus raisedor lowered withi'elation to the. front end ofthe drum.-

The cylindrical drum is provided' with flat top portion that-is bounded-by a pair iron plates ,9 an'dy-each, of these plates is used in connection with a base plate 10-to provide oppositely" arranged: guide grooves A slide gate l2'is' alsoarranged in thetop portion of the drum and guided these; grooves for use at the'bottom of the hopper:

9; interior of thepdrum t 13 front which the grain is fed to'the drum through the vertically arranged chute 14.

' ityfeed to the drum through the chute. The

discharge opening 18 from the hoppcrliis 7 straight horizontal arm 19 and the curved The slide gate may be moved to increase or diminish the size of the opening in the botprovided with a slide gate 17 to vary the size ofthe opening and regulate the, flow or feed of powder tothe, chute, said slide gate being movable in the guide extension or frame of the hopper and indicated as 18. p

The finely powdered copper carbonate is stirred and agitated to prevent compacting by means of a rotary stirrer comprising a arm QO integral therewith, both of which are secured to the vertical shaft 21 to rotate therewith.

Within the drum is mounted a central, longitudinally extending main shaft 22 journaled at its ends in bearings 23 of the 'drumheads and forming part of the rotary-agi tator for the commingling of the seed grain and carbonate as they arefed by gravity through the chute 14 from the respective hoppers. A drive pulley 24 receives power,

as by a belt from a; suitable source, to operate the agitator through the drive pinion 2 and h driven g 7' h latteron'the l the opening, a sufficient quantity of material main shaft 22. By means of a bevel-gear couple 27 the stirrer shaft of the copper carbonate stirrer is operated from the main shaft of the agitator. V l p The rotary agits'ttor within the drum in addition to the shaft includes spaced spider frames 28 and 29 secured near the ends of the shaft, and these spider frames are'connected by three (or any other suitable number) blades 30 fashioned of angle-iron plates that 1 spaced spider frames and as the agitator rot-ates or revolves these angular blades pick up the mixture of seeds and powder and then empty the material as the blade reaches the top of the drum; The spiral blades thus continuously pickup and deposit the mixed material and the formation of these blades efopening in the nozzle may be controlled and regulated by means of a slide gate 32- hav- 7 ing perforations to receive the adjusting bolts 33 passed through the head 3 of the drum.

In operating the drum the material is fed therein until the top of the mass reaches an inclined line extending up from the top of the opening of the discharge spout to a point just above the bottom opening of the inlet or feed chute 14. Under such conditions the further feed of material through the chute is cut off, until a sufficient quantity has been discharged to permitfeedofinore material. The continuous agitation and forward movementof' the mass insures the tumbling, rubbing, and frictional contact of the seeds and powder to coat the seeds and the coated seeds are discharged through the spout or, chute 31 for future-use.

It will be notedthat the bottom opening of the chute 14 terminates above the longitudinal center of the drum; and therefore the incoming material is released above thecenter of the drum thus increasing the capacity of the drum. The feed of grain at this altitude above the center-of the drum also increases the slope oftop line of the material and insures speedy movement of the grain from the feed chute tofacilitate feed of grain from the chute. The slope of the material from the chute may be varied bychanging the height of'the material at the outlet end of the drum,

. and this change at the outlet end of the drum is accomplished by vertically adjusting the gate 32 with relation to the dischargenozzle 31. In thus regulatingthe outlet opening, and thereby .the'height of the material at is maintained whereby the slope line will cross the longitudinal centerof the drum while the machineis in operation,

Not only am I thus enabled to treat a maximum quantity of grain but the added weight of this large bulk of grain enhances thejefliciency of the process ofattrition, for it will be apparent that the heavier bulk of grain'increases the friction between the seeds. This heavy mass of grain isalso relativelv slow in its movement toward the outletnozzle, as the seeds are retarded by the increased friction.

-By use of the angular bars 30 of-the, agitator the material is carried about the axis of theshaft22, and the grains nearest the bars move faster toward the outlet end of the drutn than those nearer the shaft, due to the-positive and directaction of the agitator. Under the action of gravity, the agitated material is also continuously fa'lling toward the bottom of the drum. Dueto these two movements it will be obvious that the material cannot move in a solid mass, but the ever changing positions of the seeds and the continuously changing speeds at which the seeds move insure a continuous rubbing together of the kernels or Q -ing an interior-gravity fee d"chute',' a seed- .hopper, a powder-hopper communicating able discharge valve at theother end'efthe regulate the what I claim as new and desire to secure Letters Patent is 1. The combination with said chute and. separate means fer-regulating feed from said hoppers, ,of' a shaft generalslope of material in the drum? i 2. In a seed treating machine, "the combi nation-with ,a stationary drum and a rotary agitator therein, of 131g;perpendicular inlet chute at one end ofthe drum and an adjustdrum,rsaid chute andvalve 'co-operating to general slope of the material in thedrum."

- Intestinionyvwhereofl afiix my signature.

CLAUDE 0. CALKINS.

has 

